Amazon simplifies online shopping with Twitter hashtags

Amazon and Twitter have launched a partnership that allows shoppers to add products to their wishlists with a hashtag.

Amazon and Twitter have announced that they are teaming up for an initiative that could signal a new approach to online shopping. The companies have just revealed their #AmazonCart service, which will allow Twitter users to add items to their Amazon wishlists using that hashtag (or #AmazonBasket in the UK).

By replying to a tweet containing a link to an Amazon product, shoppers can earmark potential purchases so they can be easily found and ordered later on – though they will still have to go to Amazon to actually buy their goods.

“No more switching apps, typing passwords or trying to remember items you saw on Twitter,” the company’s video explains, despite the fact that there will still be a need to use both apps to actually make a purchase.

So could this development change the face of e-commerce? Online retail has always had some social elements – after all, most shopping sites allow users to share products they want or have just purchased, and Pinterest has helped to make this practice much more widespread.

But it is safe to say that the Twitter partnership, which will mean users announcing their buying intentions to all of their followers, represents a new form of engagement and provides marketers with a raft of new opportunities, both for marketing and for gathering customer insight.

For Twitter, it’s a wise decision in the aftermath of some uninspiring financial results. The social network needs to develop ways to monetise its service, and anything that can improve engagement is likely to boost advertising revenues. Introducing e-commerce seems like a shrewd move on their part.

As for Amazon, making it easier for users to find out about and buy new products will always be a welcome development and as Mashable points out, it could well become the standard retailer for this kind of transaction.

It also increases the chances of product fans sharing the things they are interested in, allowing them to become brand advocates to their social networks. It could well be that this partnership leads to increased revenues for both parties.